


no, it's not short for penelope

by potterthepoltergeist



Series: Writing Comps [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Reminiscing, madame pomfrey is an actual queen tho, stan her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29835462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potterthepoltergeist/pseuds/potterthepoltergeist
Summary: poppy: a flower symbolizing remembrance, sleep, peace, and death.this is my submission for round two of a writing competition run by @marauding.wolfstar on instagram! the prompt for this round was any member of the hogwarts staff.
Relationships: Minerva McGonagall/Poppy Pomfrey (Mentioned), Remus Lupin & Poppy Pomfrey, because yes remus and poppy are absolutely bros
Series: Writing Comps [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2183307
Kudos: 5





	no, it's not short for penelope

Poppy Pomfrey prided herself on her ability to follow the rules.

Granted, most of the time, they were set by herself (it was _her_ infirmary after all), but still. She adhered to every policy of the spotless Hogwarts ward, always prescribed the appropriate levels of both bedrest and medicinal potions, never left her patients alone for more than a few hours, et cetera, et cetera. Even Minerva, the organization master herself, who stopped by quite often, had dropped more than one compliment on Poppy's orderly habits.

So it was Poppy herself who was most surprised when she started _bending_ the rules - how _scandalous_ \- for a certain young Gryffindor werewolf and his three incredibly concerned friends.

Visitation times were rarely longer than thirty minutes, and they definitely weren't over an hour. They were strictly set outside of class time - you couldn't get a pass merely to say hello to an unwell friend when there was work to be done, things to be learned.

But Remus - she had taken to calling him his given name rather than Mr. Lupin; they saw each other regularly enough by now, it only seemed kind - was such an unfortunate child. And his ragtag little group was so utterly compassionate - if you looked past the varying layers of mischief and chaos.

Poppy, now, was hovering in the doorway between her office and the infirmary beds, sorting through the small rolling tray of herbs stationed there, courtesy of Pomona. When the doors creaked open, revealing three boys that should have been studying, she wasn't even surprised.

But they knew she'd wave it off. (She'd been waving it off for nearly four years now, so.)

And it was worth it, she decided, gently pushing the tray against the wall. It was worth it to see the way Remus's face lit up whenever his friends bent the visitation rules.

-

Another thing Poppy Pomfrey prided herself on was her ability to work well under pressure.

There was no time to shed more than a few tears. Because, as her mother had always said, too many of those and you'll drown. There was no time to fret over the possibility of Death, not when a child was bleeding out under your hands, and it was _your responsibility_ to make sure that Death stayed far, far at bay. And Poppy had - she'd kept it at bay every month for Remus, at least ten times a day now that the war was in full swing and healers were spread thin.

Cruel news reached her in early November of 1981.

She shed more than a few tears that night.

**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me on tumblr @potter-the-poltergeist :D


End file.
